Mole Crickets in Central Florida: The Double Threat of Tunneling and Root Feeding
They look like something out of a sci-fi movie — cylindrical bodies, shovel-like legs, and a shield-shaped head built for one thing: digging. Mole crickets are bizarre-looking, subterranean pests that literally plow through grass roots, and they're one of the most destructive lawn insects in Central Florida.
Here's the problem: they don't just feed on roots. They tunnel. And that double-threat — tunneling plus root feeding — causes turf to completely die off if left unchecked.
How to Know If You Have Mole Crickets
Mole crickets are active underground, so you won't always see the insect itself. Instead, look for these signs in your lawn:
Wavy, raised ridges across the turf — These are surface tunnels just below the soil, created as the cricket plows through in search of food.
Spongy, soft footing — When you walk across the lawn, it feels springy or loose underfoot. That's because the roots have been severed and the soil structure is collapsing.
Brown or thinning patches — As roots are eaten and tunnels dry out the soil, grass turns yellow then brown, often in irregular patches.
Grass that pulls up easily — If you can tug a handful of turf and it comes up like a loose carpet, the root system has been destroyed.
A quick test: mix a couple tablespoons of dish soap into a gallon of water and pour it over a one-square-foot area. If mole crickets are present, they'll surface within a couple of minutes.
Which Grasses Are Most Attracted to Mole Crickets?
Mole crickets have clear favorites. In Central Florida, the most susceptible turfgrasses are:
Bahiagrass — Extremely vulnerable; mole crickets are especially fond of the coarse roots and stems.
Bermudagrass — Also a top target; thin-bladed and dense, but the tunneling damage shows up fast.
Seashore paspalum — Common on coastal and Central Florida properties; highly susceptible.
They will also attack St. Augustinegrass and centipede grass, particularly when populations are high or when these lawns are adjacent to heavily infested bahia or bermuda areas. So no matter what grass type you have, it's worth staying alert.
The Double Threat: Tunneling + Root Feeding = Dead Turf
Here's what makes mole crickets so destructive. As they tunnel just below the soil surface, they physically uproot grass plants and loosen the soil, causing it to dry out faster. At the same time, they're feeding on roots, stems, and even leaf blades they pull down into their tunnels.
The result? The grass loses its anchor and its food supply at once. Patches of turf die off completely, and the bare soil is then vulnerable to weeds and erosion.
Best Time to Treat: Late Spring to Early Summer
Timing is everything. Mole crickets are best treated in late spring or early summer — around May through June in Central Florida — when they are still small nymphs. At this stage, they are:
Closer to the soil surface and more exposed to treatments
Much more vulnerable to insecticides
Not yet mature enough to reproduce
Treating larger, mature adults later in the summer or fall is far less effective. A single well-timed application when the nymphs are small can prevent the population from exploding and save your lawn from the tunneling-root-feeding double threat.
If you're seeing signs of mole cricket activity in your Central Florida lawn, don't wait until the damage is obvious. Late spring and early summer is your window — catch them small, and you'll keep your turf thick and healthy through the hottest months.